Stapling and punching machine



May 12, 1959 1 F. i. HARRISON 2,885,680

STAHL-ING AND PUNCHING MACHINE Filed sept. 18, 195e INVENToR. @ANA/MHAAR/.sa/v

n ArroRN-y United States Patent O 2,885,680 STAPLING AND PUNCHINGMACHINE Frank M. Harrison, Walterboro, S.C. Application September 18,1956, Serial No. 610,598 1 Claim. (Cl. 1-2) The present inventionrelates to the manufacture of containers and more particularly tomachines for stapling, punching, and/or performing other operations onmarket baskets while in mat form.

One of the principal objects of the invention is the provision of anovel and improved apparatus. for use in the making of market basketsand more particularly, splint baskets made of wood Veneer strips, etc.,and having reinforcing bands or the like stapled or riveted about theirupper edges, wherein opposite sides of the blanks or mats from which thebaskets are made are simultaneously stapled and/or have other operationsperformed thereon.

The invention resides in certain constructions and combinations andarrangements of parts and further objects and advantages will beapparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates from thefollowing description of the preferred embodiment described withreference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification, in which Fig. l is a perspective view of an apparatus,embody-A ing the invention, for stapling and punching holes in splintbasket mats and showing a mat ready to be moved into stapling andpunching position, and

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of a basket made from a mat similar to themat shown in Fig. l.

Although the invention may be embodied in an apparatus `for performingvarious operations on a basket or like blank or mat it is herein shownand described as embodied in an apparatus for simultaneously staplingthe reinforcing bands along opposite parallel sides of a wood veneersplint basket mat and simultaneously punching handle receiving holes inthe mat adjacent to the reinforcing bands. The mat shown in Fig. 1 orthe drawings and designated by the reference character M is adapted tobe made into a rectangular market basket having a detachable wire bailtype handle similar to the basket B shown in Fig. 2.

In accordance with present practice, baskets ofthe typev shown arefabricated by first forming the rectangularly shaped blank or mat M byweaving suitable veneer strips or splints in a well established manner.The ends of the laterally extending strips 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 of the matare then interposed between reinforcing bands 15, 16 and secured to thebands as by stapling. The mat is subsequently folded along longitudinallines adjacent to the inner edges of the two outermost longitudinalextending strips 17, 13 of the mat which strips are turned upwardly toform the sides of the basket. Thev loose ends of the side forming strips17, 18 are turned inwardly to form the end walls of the basket and theloose ends of the longitudinal ,strips 20, 2l, 22 intermediate the sidestrips are turned upwardly and are interwoven with the inturned portionsof the side strips and attached intermediate the reinforcing bands 15,16 also as by stapling or some similar operation. The handle receivingslots 23, 24 are punched in the central laterally extending split 12adjacent to the reinforcing bands either before or after the mat isfolded.

The machine shown and described therein is especially designed vforsimultaneously stapling opposite sides of basket mats and punching thehandle receiving holes therein at the same time. Generally speaking, themachine comprises a pair of work carriers or mat trays substantiallyalike in each adapted to receive and support a woven mat while thereinforcing bands are stapled in position and the handle receiving slotssimultaneously punched therein. The mat trays are supported upon arunway for movement to and from a position underneath the stapling andpunching heads of the machine. The machine also, preferably, includesmeans for automatically actuating the stapling and punching heads as thetrays properly position the mats thereon underneath the heads.

Referring to the drawings,'the machine includes a frame comprising twoupright side members 30, 31 supported on a transversely extending base32 and connected intermediate their ends at about table height by a pairof transversely extending rigid bars 33, only one of which is shown inthe drawings, connected to the respective side members. The bars 33 havetheir opposite ends bolted to brackets which brackets are in turn boltedto the inner faces of the side members. The upper ends of the sidemembers 30, 31 are bifurcated or slotted as at 35, 36 for the receptionof the plate-like ram 37 and are connected together by a crown member 38the ends of which are received in the upper ends of the slots 35, 36 andbolted in position therein. The xed transverse rigid bars 33 form thesupport for a longitudinally extending runway including a pair of angleirons 39, 40, in the upstanding flanges of which form rails upon whichthe mat trays T are supported by flanged Wheels 41 for movement into andout of the stapling and punching position underneath the stapling andpunching heads. The angle irons 39, 40 which form the runway for the mattrays are connected by suitable brackets 42 to the transverselyextending frame members 33, preferably by being clamped thereto in sucha manner that they can be adjusted transversely of the machine towardsand from each other to better accommodate trays of different widths andin turn mats of different sizes for the making of baskets of diierentsizes. While the mat trays shown are provided with wheels to facilitatetheir movement along the angle irons 39, 40 it will be understood thatthe wheels can be omitted and the trays merely slidably supported insuitable runway, or other types of anti-friction supporting means may beemployed as desired.

Opposite ends of the ram 37 are each connected in a similar manner by asuitable connecting rod or pitman 43, to an eccentric 45 tixed adjacentto opposite ends of a transversely extending drive shaft 47 rotatablysupported in the lower ends of the side members 30, 31 and adapted to bedriven from an electric motor 48 through a flexible belt drive notshown. The connecting rods, eccentrics etc. are located to the outsideof the side members 30, 31 and only the parts on the near side of saidmachine show in the drawing. The rear end of the ram 37 is continuallyurged into its elevated position by a tension spring 49 connected to thepitman 43 and to the side member adjacent thereto. A similar spring, notshown, biases the far end of the ram upwardly ina similar manner.

The stapling heads of which there are tive along each side of the runwayfor the mat trays, are designated gen# erally by the reference character8. The stapling heads shown are commercially available from St. I oeMachines, Lne., St. Joe, Michigan, but they may be of any commercialconstruction. In View of the fact that the stapling heads per se form nopart of the present invention, they are not shown and described indetail. Since the stapling and punching heads at opposite sides of themachine are construction and the manner in which they are supported andoperated and only those at the far side of the machine as viewed in Fig.l will be described and the corresponding parts on the near sidedesignated by the `same reference character with a prime mark aiiixedthereto. The two end heads ofthe line stapling heads on each side of thetray runway are adjustably connected to longitudinally extending members50, 51, respectively, projecting from opposite front and rear sides of atransversely extending member 52 to which they are adjustably clampedfor movement transversely of the machine. The transversely extendingplatelike member 52 is bolted to the rear or left-hand edges of the sidemembers 30, 31 as viewed in Fig. l. The central stapling head isadjustably connected to the transversely extending member 52 and forms aguide for the punch 54 which makes the handle receiving slot in the sideof the mat adjacent thereto. The movable or operative portions of thetwo end stapling heads on each side of the machine are adjustablyconnected as by brackets 75, 76, 77, 7S to longitudinally extendingplate-like members S5, 56 projecting from opposite sides of thetransversely extending ram 37 to which they are adjustably clamped in amanner similar to that in which the members 50, 51 are adjustably iixedto the member 52. The movable portion of the central heads on eitherside of the machine is adjustably connected as by a bracket 80 to theram 37 and carries the punch 54 on its respective side of the machine.The fact that both the stationary and movable portions of the staplingheads or apparatus at either side of the machine are supported forrelative adjustment longitudinally of the runway for the mat trays andthat the heads at opposite sides of the machine can be relativelyadjusted transversely of the runway, allows the machine to be set up tooperating upon mats of diflferent patterns and sizes.

The die 60 at either side of the machine for the cooperating punch 54 issecured to a longitudinally extending member 61 adjustably connected asby clamp plates 81 to the transversely extending members 33 so that theycan be moved to accommodate mats of diiferent sizes. The members 61 alsoform the anvils or clinch blocks of the stapling apparatus. In theparticular basket shown the two end staples on either side arepositioned diagonal with respect to the length of the reinforcing stripsand the center staple, which is offset to one side with respect to theslot for the handle, is positioned normal to the length of thereinforcing strips, but these are mere matters of design as is the factthat the stapling heads on opposite sides of the ram are of a diterenthand with respect to one another.

Auxiliary equipment for the stapling heads includes suitable Wirefeeding apparatus of commercial construction designated generally by thereference character F and suitably supported on the inner sides of theend members 30, 31 and operated by pawl and ratchet mechanisms, thepawls of which are connected by mechanism including levers 62 to the ram37.

The mats M may be woven on the trays T but they are preferably formed atsome other location and brought in stacks or bundles to the staplingapparatus on trucks or the like. At the stapling 4apparatus the mats areplaced on the trays by operators at opposite ends of the machine and thetrays alternately moved into stapling and punching position underneaththe stapling and punching heads. As the trays are moved into staplingand punching position they close one or the other of two switchesconnected to one or the other of the members 33 in position to beengaged by suitable adjustable trips or stops on the respective trays.Only the switch 65 carried by the right-hand or front member 33 and thestop 66 on the right-hand tray T which actuates the switch 65 are shownon the drawing. The switches 65 are in parallel circuit with one anotherand the closing of either switch establishes an electric circuit for themotor 48 which causes the drive shaft 47 to make a single revolution. Asthe shaft 47 approaches its starting position a trip 67 adjustablysecured to it opens a switch 68 in series circuit with the switches 65thereby disconnecting and stopping the motor. The opening of switch 68opens a delayed closing timing switch (not shown) in series circuittherewith which prevents reenergization of the motor .4 upon thereclosing of switch 68 as the trip 67 coasts or drifts thereby and givesthe operator time to retract the mat tray. Alternatively any form ofsingle revolution clutch mechanism having a holding circuit or similarinterlock to prevent successive operation of the driving shaft withoutretraction of the particular tray underneath the stapling and punchingheads at the time of the last stapling and punching operation may besubstituted for the control described. The forward positions of thetrays, that is, their positions underneath the stapling and punchingheads is determined or limited by adjustable stops underneath their rearcorners which engage abutments adjacent to the runways. Only the stop 70and the abutment 71 for the right-hand tray T appears in the drawing.Alternatively the runway for the trays may be continuous orsemi-continuous in which event a succession of trays may be movedtherealong in a single direction and halted instantaneously during thepunching and stapling operation. Y

From the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of theinvention, it will be apparent that a simple inexpensive stapling andpunching machine has been provided which performs a multiplicity ofoperations on two or more sides of a basket mat simultaneously, and witha minimum of time and effort on the part of the operator or operators.While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described inconsiderable detail, the invention is not limited to the particularconstruction shown and it is my intention to hereby cover alladaptations, modifications and uses which come within the practice ofthose skilled in the art to which the invention relates and within thescope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a basket fabricating machine, a frame comprising two spaced sidemembers, a iirst transverse member extending from one of said sidemembers to the other and xedly secured thereto adjacent to their lowerends, means adjustably connected to said first transverse member forminga runway extending transversely of said irst transverse member, a secondtransverse member above first transverse member extending from one ofsaid side members to the other, a plurality of rst longitudinal membersextending lengthwise of said runway adjacent to said side members, meansconnecting said rst longitudinal members to said second transversemember for adjustment relative to one another, a plurality of staplingheads connected to each of said longitudinal members for adjustmentlengthwise of said runway, a plurality of clinch blocks connected tosaid rst transverse member for adjustment relative to one another, a ramslidably supported in said frame above said second transverse member,means for reciprocating said ram, a plurality of second longitudinalmembers extending lengthwise of said runway adjacent to said sidemembers, means connecting said second longitudinal members to said ramfor adjustment relative to one another, means adjustably connected tosaid second longitudinal members for actuating said heads uponreciprocation of said ram, a work carrier adapted to hold a basketblank, means supporting said work carrier on said runway for movement toand from a position in which `a blank carried thereby has a plurality ofits sides underneath a plurality of said stapling heads, and means forautomatically actuating said ram in timed relation to the movement ofsaid work carrier.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,254,779 Craig et al. Ian. 29, 1918 1,612,176 Campbell Dec. 28, 19261,612,207 Norton Dec. 28, 1926 2,070,704 Anderson Feb. 16, 19372,509,870 Larsson May 30, 1950 2,554,026 Harrison May 22, 1951 2,569,355Tubbs Sept. 25, 1951

